scholarly journals Climatic Variability, Nest Predation, and Reproductive Output of Lilac-Crowned Parrots (Amazona Finschi) in Tropical Dry Forest of Western Mexico

The Auk ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 1214-1225
Author(s):  
Katherine Renton ◽  
Alejandro Salinas-Melgoza
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Nest Predation ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Western Mexico ◽  
Nestling Survival ◽  
Interannual Fluctuations

Abstract For 1996–2003, we determined reproductive output and success of 70 Lilaccrowned Parrot (Amazona finschi) nests in tropical dry forest of the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve in western Mexico. Only 42% of nests had young that fledged; predation was the main cause of nest failure. Low brood survival in 2000 and 2003 caused significant between-year variation in the probability of nest success during the nestling phase of the nest cycle. Reproductive output of Lilac-crowned Parrots was low, with females producing an average of 0.99 fledglings on an initial investment of 2.6 eggs. The fecundity component of clutch size varied significantly between years, because of the high median clutch size recorded in 2000. Nestling survival also varied significantly between years, creating large interannual fluctuations in reproductive output. The most productive breeding season was 1999, with an average output of 1.7 fledglings on an investment of 2.7 eggs; whereas the poorest breeding season was 2000, with an output of 0.57 fledglings from 3.3 eggs. Loss of reproductive potential was greatest in 2000 and 2003, because of brood reduction through starvation of later-hatched nestlings, with hatching order influencing the probability of nestling survival. Mean number of nestlings per egg-laying female was associated with interannual fluctuations in precipitation resulting from the El Niño-La Niña weather cycle in the Pacific Ocean. Both nest predation and food availability may limit parrot reproduction in tropical dry forests, with populations of threatened species in dry habitats being vulnerable to effects of climatic variability and habitat fragmentation.

scholarly journals How Many Baskets? Clutch Sizes That Maximize Annual Fecundity of Multiple-Brooded Birds

The Auk ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 973-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
George L. Farnsworth ◽  
Theodore R. Simons ◽  
J. Brawn
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Nest Predation ◽  
Reproductive Effort ◽  
Nest Survival ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Season Length ◽  
Deterministic Models ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
Theoretical Issues

Abstract We developed deterministic models on the basis of nest survival rates and renesting behavior capable of predicting annual fecundity in birds. The models calculate probabilities of fledging from one to four nests within a discrete breeding season. We used those models to address theoretical issues related to clutch size. In general, birds require at least one day to lay an egg, and many species delay incubation until their entire clutch is laid. Because it takes longer to complete a larger clutch, and fewer such clutches can fit into a limited breeding season, there exists a clutch size for which annual fecundity is maximized. We asked, for a given amount of reproductive effort (i.e. a set number of eggs), does the age-old maxim “don't put all your eggs in one basket” apply? If so, in how many “baskets” should a nesting bird place its eggs? The answer depends on both likelihood of nest predation and length of the breeding season. Those results are consistent with the observed increase in clutch size with latitude (shorter breeding season length) and larger clutch sizes characteristic of cavity-nesting species (with higher nest survival rates). The models also predict that the size of replacement clutches should decrease as the breeding season progresses, and that intraseasonal decline in clutch size should be more pronounced when the breeding season is short.

Long-term (33 years) rainfall and runoff dynamics in a tropical dry forest ecosystem in western Mexico: Management implications under extreme hydrometeorological events

2018 ◽  
Vol 426 ◽  
pp. 7-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Maass ◽  
Raúl Ahedo-Hernández ◽  
Salvador Araiza ◽  
Abel Verduzco ◽  
Angelina Martínez-Yrízar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Management Implications ◽  
Western Mexico ◽  
Runoff Dynamics

Distribution of the community of frugivorous birds along a successional gradient in a tropical dry forest in south-western Mexico

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Carlos Almazán-Núñez ◽  
María del Coro Arizmendi ◽  
Luis E. Eguiarte ◽  
Pablo Corcuera
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Frugivorous Birds ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Western Mexico ◽  
Successional Forests

Abstract:Few reports have described the relationship between the distribution of frugivorous birds and vegetation successional changes in dry forests. We assessed the abundance and behaviour of frugivorous birds in early, intermediate and mature dry forests in the Balsas river basin, Guerrero, Mexico. We selected nine dry-forest fragments, three fragments per stage, in these three stages of succession. We analysed the vegetation, estimated bird abundances in 10-min count periods, and recorded the way birds process fruits in circular plots (11–15 plots per fragment, 123 plots in total). Birds were classified as seed predators (15% of all individuals in this study), pulp consumers (15%) or legitimate dispersers (70%). Bird abundance was higher in mature forests in the dry season, while abundance and richness of legitimate dispersers and seed predators were positively related to vegetation complexity. Mature forests have a high vegetation complexity and a high cover ofBurseraspecies that produce fruit during the dry season. During the rains, abundance was higher in early-successional sites when the zoochorous plants produced fruit. Legitimate disperser migrants (i.e.Tyrannus vociferans, Myiarchus cinerascensandM. tyrannulus) were widespread, helping the establishment of zoochorous trees such asBurseraspp. in early-successional forests.

Litter and soil arthropods diversity and density in a tropical dry forest ecosystem in Western Mexico

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (13) ◽  
pp. 3703-3717 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Palacios-Vargas ◽  
G. Castaño-Meneses ◽  
J. A. Gómez-Anaya ◽  
A. Martínez-Yrizar ◽  
B. E. Mejía-Recamier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Soil Arthropods ◽  
Western Mexico

Riparian Areas and Conservation of Herpetofauna in a Tropical Dry Forest in Western Mexico

Biotropica ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ireri Suazo-Ortuño ◽  
Javier Alvarado-Díaz ◽  
Miguel Martínez-Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Riparian Areas ◽  
Western Mexico

Behavioral responses to seasonality by two Sceloporine lizard species from a tropical dry forest

2010 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marciano Valtierra-Azotla ◽  
Bradford Lister ◽  
Andrés García
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Western Mexico ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Resource Levels

AbstractWe investigated behavioral responses of two lizards, Sceloporus melanorhinus and S. utiformis, to environmental seasonality in a tropical dry forest of western Mexico. We conducted focal observations of individuals in the field during both the rainy and dry seasons and compared perch use, foraging and social behaviors and displacement activity within and between species. Our results indicate that seasonal changes occur in the behavior and activity of both male and female S. melanorhinus and S. utiformis. Feeding frequency, social displays, and distances travelled increased significantly in both species during the rainy season. These seasonal changes tended to be more pronounced in the arboreal species; S. melanorhinus. Surprisingly, female S. melanorhinus perched higher than males during the rainy season. Most of the observed changes are similar to the responses to seasonality observed in other lizards, both for species that exist within our study area, and for species that inhabit other seasonal environments in tropical and temperate ecosystems. Thus, the seasonal patterns in behavior documented in this study may represent a general set of behavioral strategies that allow lizards to better adapt to seasonal fluctuations in their environment, such as changes in predation pressure, variation in resource levels, and differences in insolation, temperature, and moisture levels.

The six-eyed sand spiders of the genus Sicarius (Araneae: Haplogynae: Sicariidae) from the Brazilian Caatinga

Zootaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 3599 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
IVAN L. F. MAGALHÃES ◽  
ANTONIO D. BRESCOVIT ◽  
ADALBERTO J. SANTOS
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
New Records ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
The World ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
And Behavior

In this paper we revise the species of Sicarius (Araneae: Sicariidae) from the Brazilian Caatinga, the largest tropical dry forest nucleus in the world. We redescribe, designate a neotype and provide new records for Sicarius tropicus (Mello- Leitão, 1936), the only species previously known from the region, and describe three new species: S. cariri n. sp., S. diadorim n. sp. and S. ornatus n. sp. We report high intraspecific variation in the genitalic morphology of these species, especially in females. We also provide anecdotal observations on natural history and behavior of these species, including diet, mating behavior and clutch size. We include an identification key for Brazilian Caatinga species of Sicarius.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document